Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for Flick

Last Updated: March 8, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to Flick! We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you use our mobile application.
By using Flick, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information

When you create an account, we collect: - Email address (for account creation and verification) - Username (public identifier) - Full name (optional, for profile display) - Profile picture (optional, if you choose to upload one) - Bio (optional, for profile display) - Password (encrypted and securely stored)

1.2 Usage Information

We automatically collect: - Reading preferences (articles you like, save, or mark as read) - Category preferences (tech, business, sports, etc.) - App usage data (features you use, time spent in app) - Device information (device type, operating system version) - Social activity (Flicks you write, comments, likes on Flicks, users you follow)

1.3 User-Generated Content

When you use social features, we store: - Flicks — Your short opinions (up to 280 characters) on news articles - Comments — Your replies on Flicks - Follow relationships — Users you follow and who follow you

1.4 Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do NOT collect your precise location data 

• We do NOT access your contacts or photo library (except when you choose to upload a profile picture) 

• We do NOT track you across other apps or websites for advertising 

• We do NOT sell your data to third parties

1.5 Guest Mode

You may use Flick without creating an account (“Continue as Guest”). In guest mode, we do not collect personal information. You can browse news in read-only mode. Social features (Flicks, comments, follows) require an account.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to: - Provide personalized news based on your interests and region - Power social features — Display your Flicks, comments, and follow activity - Maintain your account and preferences - Send email verification codes during signup - Send push notifications — Breaking news alerts (you can disable in device settings) - Improve our service and fix technical issues - Ensure security and prevent abuse

3. How We Store Your Information

3.1 Data Storage

• Your data is securely stored on enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure 

• All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest 

• We use industry-standard security practices

3.2 Data Retention

• Your account data is retained as long as your account is active 

• You can request account deletion at any time through the app 

• Upon deletion, your data is permanently removed within 30 days 

• Your Flicks and comments may be retained in anonymized form for content integrity (e.g., replies to your comments)

4. Third-Party Services

We work with trusted service providers to operate Flick. Your data may be processed by:

4.1 Cloud Database & Authentication

• Purpose: User authentication, account storage, and social features (profiles, Flicks, comments, follows) 

• Data Shared: Email, username, profile information, Flicks, comments, follow relationships

4.2 AI Content Services

• Purpose: Generate news summaries (backend processing only) 

• Data Shared: News article text only — no personal or account data is shared

4.3 Push Notification Delivery

• Purpose: Deliver breaking news alerts to your device 

• Data Shared: A device identifier linked to your account so we can send relevant notifications (e.g., to users who haven’t opened the app recently)

4.4 News Sources

• Purpose: Fetch publicly available news articles

• Data Shared: None — we only consume public RSS feeds from publishers such as BBC, TechCrunch, The Hindu, and similar sources

5. Your Rights

You have the right to: - Access your data — View all data we have about you - Update your data — Edit your profile information anytime - Delete your account — Request complete account deletion (Settings → Delete Account) - Export your data — Download your saved articles and preferences - Opt-out of push notifications — Disable in your device settings - Opt-out of emails — Unsubscribe from notification emails

6. Data Sharing

We do NOT sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
We may share your data only in these limited cases: - Legal compliance — If required by law or court order - Security — To prevent fraud, abuse, or illegal activity - Business transfer — In case of merger, acquisition, or sale
Public content: Your username, profile picture, Flicks, and comments are visible to other Flick users. Do not share sensitive information in Flicks or comments.

7. Children's Privacy

Flick is not intended for users under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately

8. International Users

Your data may be stored and processed in any country where our service providers operate. By using Flick, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside your country of residence. We may show region-specific news (e.g., India, US, Global) based on your device locale.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by: - Posting the new Privacy Policy in the app and on our website - Updating the “Last Updated” date - Sending an email notification (for significant changes)
Your continued use of Flick after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
Email: flickit.st@gmail.com
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/flickapp

11. Your California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to: - Know what personal information we collect - Request deletion of your personal information - Opt-out of the sale of your information (we don’t sell data)

12. GDPR Compliance (EU Users)

If you are in the European Union, you have additional rights under GDPR: - Right to access — Request a copy of your data - Right to rectification — Correct inaccurate data - Right to erasure — Request deletion of your data - Right to data portability — Export your data - Right to object — Object to data processing 

By using Flick, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.